average_joe
Headphoneus Supremus
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- Dec 5, 2008
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[size=18.0pt]Headphone vs. Custom (vs. Universal): Tesla T1 vs. LCD-2 vs. EM3 Pro vs. EP-10 Plus vs. SM3[/size]
I have owned many many high end universal IEMs at one point or another, but then the SM3 changed everything for me. To me, they were better than all the other universals. That was the gateway to the Tesla T1 after I sold most of my universals. Next, I needed an amp to power the T1, and well, the EM3 Pro seemed like a good bet since I liked the SM3 so much. And, after reading comments about the LCD-2 that reminded me of the SM3, I had to have one! Finally, the EP-10 Plus sounded intriguing, a custom that has both a dynamic and BA...how good could that be?
These are my experiences on how my Audeze LCD-2, Beyerdynamic Tesla T1, Earsonics EM3 Pro, and Earsonics SM3 compare to each other. I prefer to do comparison reviews since I feel it helps put things into perspective, which is why this is a comparison review. Your experience may vary.
Audeze LCD-2 ($945 + shipping) - full sized planar headphones, open
Beyerdynamic Tesla T1 ($1,295) - full sized dynamic headphones, open
Earsonics EM3 Pro (€744 = $977) - custom 2 way, 3 balanced armature driver top of the line custom
Earpower EP-10 Plus (€700 + shipping = $920) - custom 3 driver design, 2 balanced armatures, one dynamic driver IEM that is the top-of-the line
Earsonics SM3 ($380) - universal 3 way 3 balanced armature driver IEM that is the top-of-the line universal
If you don't want to read my specific comparisons, you can jump ahead. Here is my review index:
Custom vs. Custom, Universal vs. custom, & Headphone vs. Headphone - This post
Custom/Universal vs. Headphone
Summary Ranking/Rating, and Thoughts
Pictures
[And don't miss my Customs Resource Thread]
How I compared: A/Bed two of the above at a time over several hours spanning multiple nights using my different sources with genres from electronic to pop to jazz to classical to rock to metal to country and more. I initially took notes and as time went, the differences became more and more apparent, so my notes became more sparse. I used the following setups:
Tesla T1 & LCD-2: RPX-33 & Stepdance (both high and low gain, 12V wall power)
EM3 Pro, EP-10 Plus, SM3: RPX-33, Stepdance, Pico Slim, iPhone 3G
I used the same setup when appropriate. i.e. The RPX-33 and Stepdance when comparing the SM3 with the Tesla T1, and the Stepdance/Pico Slim/iPhone when comparing the SM3 and EM3 Pro.
Several things contributed to my experience, which include DACs (and op amps in the DACs), amps, and music (which includes bitrate). I tried to find the best combinations for my testing, but sometimes one combo worked much better for one setup than another, therefore I did do some comparing with different rigs, which when done right, pulled the performance of things closer. And volume levels...everything changes depending on the volume level. At very low listening levels the results changed, and the same goes for higher listening levels. I tested primarily at low-moderate to medium listening levels.
And I wanted to mention, this review took me a while as I was trying to figure out the best way to present everything while still keeping it somewhat easy to follow. I hope you feel I succeeded.
[size=16.0pt]Comparisons:[/size]
Custom vs. Custom
EM3 Pro vs. EP-10 Plus
Two different customs for two different listening style and music preferences. The EM3 Pro is your typical custom with 3 BAs in a 2 way design in a solid silicon shell. The EM3 Pro seems very solidly built and is easy to twist in and out and feels very comfy. The EP-10 Plus is very different, as it has a much lighter plastic shell that doesn't insert as deeply and the upper section is much larger, making them a little uncomfortable to me for extended wear. I have to pull straight back on the rear of my ear to insert the EP-10 Plus. The EP-10 plus nozzle does not insert as deeply as the EM3 Pro nozzle and does not isolate nearly as well as the EM3 Pro. The sound leakage is near ear bud levels, which is what the EP-10 Plus bass driver actually is.
And speaking of the bass driver, it is out there. The EP-10 Plus looks strange, at least to me while being worn. Not that looks would stop me from wearing it in public if I though it warranted ear time and wasn't offensive. I am sure it would be a conversation starter, if you want to take them out when people talk to you!
I have had the EM3 Pro for much longer than the EP-10 Plus and have been used to the sound. It offers great detail, can be powerful yet refined, and thick at times. The presentation location is up close while pushing the stage wide, wider than my previous space champ, the SM3, although the SM3 is pretty close. The EM3 Pro seems to present whatever was recorded...warmth, bass, treble emphasis, narrow presentation or wide presentation, the EM3 Pro just does what it is told.
Enter the EP-10 Plus...it does not do what it is told, it does more (for the most part)! More space, more bass oomph, more mid-bass. Ouch, sometimes too much mid-bass. The EP-10 Plus leaves the EM3 Pro behind in the size of the presentation and can project you further away from the presentation than the EM3 Pro. The space is headphone like, but I will cover that more in the EP-10 Plus vs. the headphones. The weaknesses of the EP-10 Plus is the mids and treble are not as detailed as the EM3 Pro, which cuts through a presentation like a hot scoop through ice cream, bring out all the details. Not that the details aren't there in the EP-10 Plus, but the presentation lacks the refinement in the mids and upper registers, possibly from too much mid-bass, or a better driver being used in the EM3 Pro.
How about the bass? Well, the EM3 Pro can pump out bass, but it does not exaggerate the bass quantity. If bass is present in large quantities, that is what you hear, if not, you hear the lack in the song. The EP-10 Plus has much more to it in the bass region, and the quality of the bass is nothing short of spectacular. So the focus of the EP-10 Plus is the bass. Of course, using a great amp helps (Stepdance/Pico Slim), although both are still good with the iPhone. And I will add that the EP-10 Plus is more sensitive than the EM3 Pro.
Since there was too much mid-bass for my liking, I decided to EQ the mid-bass down (8 dB @ 800 Hz in the rockboxed iPod and via Winamp). So, comparing the two with EQ on for the EP-10 Plus and no EQ for the EM3 Pro pulled ahead convincingly except for the detail level, which was not quite up to par with the EM3 Pro. With EQ on both the EM3 Pro clarity improved even more, so it really is a tossup depending on what you are looking for. Great bass or better clarity and detail.
EM3 Pro | EP-10 Plus |
Better mid and treble detail | Better bass texturing and reverb |
More liquid/natural mids and treble | Better soundstage space, close to cans |
More true to the recording | More bass weight |
Easier to drive | More sensitive |
More comfortable and easier to insert/remove | Deeper bass |
Better isolation | Too much mid-bass - needs EQing IMO |
Looks better & more solid construction | |
Removable cable | |
Universal vs. Custom
SM3 vs. EM3 Pro
The EM3 Pro has more space, less warmth, and more refinement than the SM3. The EM3 Pro takes the good of the SM3 and improves clarity, treble presence, and refinement of the overall presentation. The SM3's dependence on tips and the changes they bring can allow the SM3 to produce more bass impact than the EM3 Pro and have similar treble presence. I find that the SM3 changes more with each recording than the EM3 Pro, shrinking or expanding in soundstage size or becoming warm and thicker in some songs, yet being just as clear in others. The song choice/genre result in different opinions of how the two compare. With some trance for example, the SM3 can be just as wide with better bass impact (tip dependent) than the EM3 Pro, but with other songs the SM3 can sound very warm and thick and veiled in comparison with the EM3 Pro. Some songs are a good deal different while others are close overall.
More on the bass...the EM3 Pro can sound more powerful in the bass region for complex bass heavy music, such as rap, R&B, and electronic, where the bass is very reverberant and sustained notes. The dual bass drivers can put out some great bass, but they don't come out and play as often as the SM3 (tip dependent). They both seem to be cut from the same cloth, yet different.
They share the sound signature but the EM3 Pro is a better IEM. The significant cost increase does get you improved clarity, less warmth, larger soundstage space most of the time, and fit & isolation of a custom, not to mention a little more treble than the SM3. It is really up to you if the improvement of the EM3 Pro is worth it over the SM3.
SM3 | EM3 Pro |
More bass quantity and impact with some tips | More ultimate bass power, when the song wants it |
Changes more with recordings, giving what seems like a bore accurate reproduction of the source | Better clarity and slightly better detail |
Very similar sound to the EM3 Pro | Fit of a custom |
Much lower price | Better build quality |
Easier to resell | Removable cable |
SM3 vs. EP-10 Plus
You can immediately tell the EP-10 Plus is a different beast than the SM3. The low end capabilities of the EP-10 Plus and size of the soundstage make the SM3 sound somewhat small and feeble. And while the SM3 is full, lush, rich, and thick, the EP-10 Plus doesn't have those qualities in droves like the SM3, but it does have a noticeable mid-bass hump that affects the clarity more than the thick richness of the SM3. If the EP-10 Plus and SM3 were boxers, the EP-10 Plus should easily knockout the SM3, but the mid-bass hump keeps the SM3 from being knocked out.
Just as with the other presentations, the mid-bass isn't always a killer for the EP-10 Plus, and the warmer songs tend to have more of a veil with both, but to me it is sometimes a killer for the EP-10 Plus, but not for the SM3. Now, apply the EQ to one or both and then the EP-10 Plus starts landing the knockout blow. But the SM3 is still hanging around as the mids and treble are more liquid with more easily perceptible detail.
You can't deny the space and bass dominance of the EP-10 Plus, but the SM3 also has merit in the mids and treble. Plus, the sound signature is different with the SM3 sounding more like a stage monitor in comparison, and the EP-10 Plus bass orientation coming out.
SM3 | EP-10 Plus |
More liquid mids and treble | More bass power |
Higher resolution/level of detail in the mids/treble | Much greater soundstage size/space |
Doesn't need EQ | More sensitive |
About 1/3rd the price | Better build quality |
Better isolation | Overall sound initially sound much better |
Better cable | More bass heavy presentation |
Sounds more like a monitor | |
Headphone vs. Headphone
Tesla T1 vs. LCD-2
This comparison has been made many times, but here is my take. Both are very nice; well constructed, comfortable, great looking, and great sounding across the spectrum. Both also have very different styling (wood vs. metal), technologies, impedance, and sound. The Tesla T1 is brighter and has more of a V shape presentation when compared with the LCD-2, which is more similar to a monitor presentation, but not quite.
These have different sound signatures and distinctly different feel to the sound. The LCD-2 is thicker and warmer whereas the T1 is brighter and leaner. But even though the T1 is brighter, it doesn't seem as clear as the LCD-2 on most tracks. And I would say the T1 is more forgiving of poor mastering while the LCD-2 allows you to hear everything in the song, good or bad. The presentation of the LCD-2 changes more from album to album than the T1, which has a more steady presentation. To me, the LCD-2 sounds more natural. For example, Blue Rodeo - 5 Days In May the cymbals of the T1 seem to be brought to the forefront and too much of the focus while the LCD-2 has a better balance. The natural sound of the LCD-2 also seems to come through with electronics genes such as trance and D&B. The bass of the LCD-2 seems deeper and can hit with more authority. For example, Chamillionaire - Industry Groupie is just lacking that impact with the T1 that the LCD-2 delivers. The T1 does well with the bass at the beginning of Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy, but the LCD-2 has more power and hit. Not to take anything away from the bass of the T1, but the LCD-2 is more to my liking.
Christina Aguilera - F.U.S.S. has better air and space on the T1, but when compared with the LCD-2 the treble emphasis seemed like a little too much for my preference. On Dead Kennedys - California Uber Alles , the LCD-2 has better texturing of the drums at the beginning of the song. The T1 sounds better with EBTG - Two Star as the instruments details are much easier to make out, but the mastering isn't the greatest and that comes through on theLCD-2. My recording of Beethoven - Symphony No. 9 sounded far superior with the T1 than the LCD-2 as the LCD-2 sounded more constricted with a smaller stage. I attribute this to the mastering because other songs such as NIN - The Four of Us Are Dying have about the same size soundstage. But listening to more classical, I do prefer the T1 for many of my tracks.
Summary: Tesla T1 has a set soundstage that is larger than that of the LCD-2 and has the bright sound signature I find in many high end headphones/IEMs along with powerful bass. The LCD-2 on the other hand does not have a set soundstage which can be good or bad depending on the track. The LCD-2 sound signature seems more balanced and natural to my ears sound closer to the real thing to me.
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Tesla T1 | LCD-2 |
Bigger, fixed size soundstage | Dynamic soundstage changes size with the recording |
Bright treble and leaner presentation | Natural and balanced treble with great naturalness |
Great bass with enough power for any song | Bass is very powerful and can really hit hard and low with an overall thicker presentation |
Overall presentation is spacious with good detail | Overall presentation is very natural sounding |
Difficult to drive, requiring a great amp | Somewhat difficult to drive as it needs lots of power |
Aluminum case | Wooden case |
Lighter weight | Detachable cables |
More forgiving of poor mastering | More resolving of details, good or bad |
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